Masonic Cancer Center, University of Minnesota

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Masonic Cancer Center of the University of Minnesota

Update is sent to Masonic Cancer Center members and staff every Tuesday morning. Please submit items to Sandi Sherman, sherm019@umn.edu, by noon the previous Friday.


In This Issue

 

Director's Message

Today's Seminar

Shared Resources Spotlight: Cytogenetics

News

Education and Events

Program Meetings

Funding News and Opportunities

 

Director's Message

Dear Colleagues:

I've always thought that an organization can be measured by its people. Since I've been director, I've had the opportunity to work closely with many faculty and staff—getting to know them as individuals, seeing their skills and capabilities, and watching them present their research at seminars.

One of my favorite jobs is bragging about your work! It's clear that the Masonic Cancer Center is composed of outstanding, committed, and expert members and staff.

While it's one thing for me to say this, it's even better to have this reinforced by our peers as it was at the recent 2009 annual meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research. We really shined. Here are the stats:

  • More than 25 oral and poster presentations from the Masonic Cancer Center
  • Six members' abstracts were designated "Highly Rated Poster Presentations" in the online Proceedings of the AACR. These posters, which were rated in the top 3-4 percent, were marked with rosettes during their presentations. Our six presenters were Arkadiusz Dudek, M.D., Ph.D., Tumor Biology and Progression Program; Heather H. Nelson, M.P.H., Ph.D., Prevention and Etiology Program; Kim Robien, Ph.D., Prevention and Etiology Program; Jian-Min Yuan, Ph.D., Prevention and Etiology Program; Mingyao Wang, Ph.D., research assistant professor, Carcinogenesis and Chemoprevention Program, Hecht lab; and Mariangellys Rodriquez, graduate student, Women's Cancer Research Program, Potter lab.
  • Two presentations received international media coverage: Jian-Min Yuan, Ph.D., "Urinary levels of tobacco-specific nitrosamine metabolites in relation to lung cancer development in two prospective cohorts of cigarette smokers," and Kristin Anderson, Ph.D., "Pancreatic cancer risk: Associations with meat-derived carcinogen intake."
  • Anna Prizment, epidemiology doctoral study working with Kristin Anderson, won the AACR-WICR Scholar Award.
  • A review article by Deepali Sachdev, Ph.D., Women's Cancer Research Program, "Disrupting insulin-like growth factor signaling as a potential cancer therapy" was highlighted as the highest-cited 2007 paper from the journal Molecular Cancer Therapeutics.

Congratulations to all of our members and staff, and thank you to everyone associated with the Masonic Cancer Center for making us an outstanding organization.

Sincerely,

Douglas Yee, M.D.
Director

Today's Seminar

Tuesday, April 28, 2009, 12-1 p.m., 450 MCRB
Tumorigenesis in neurofibromatosis: Timing and targets
Nancy Ratner, Ph.D., Professor, Division of Experimental Hematology, Department of Pediatrics, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center

Host: Christopher Moertel, M.D.

A peek at the next seminar:
Tuesday, May 5, 2009, 12-1 p.m., 450 MCRB
Clinical and etiological importance of epigenetic profiles in bladder cancer
Carmen Marsit, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Bio Med Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Brown University

Host: Heather Nelson, Ph.D.

For a complete schedule and to watch recorded seminars, visit the Web site.

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Shared Resources Spotlight: Cytogenetics

The Cytogenetics Shared Resource provides cell culture, karyotype analysis, and molecular cytogenetic services, including fluorescence-in-situ-hybridization (FISH) and oligonucleotide array based comparative genomic hybridization (a-CGH) for evaluation of human and animal cells. The lab can also provide detailed chromosome breakage studies of mouse and human cells for evaluation of genes involved in DNA repair and maintenance of chromosome stability, sequential G-banding to SKY and FISH for mapping of transposon insertion sites, and array-CGH for the evaluation of subtle genomic copy number changes. With an expanding repertoire of techniques, the shared resource has also focused on consultative assistance in experimental design and selection of cytogenetic and/or molecular cytogenetic techniques. Significant time is devoted to personal meetings with researchers to discuss the results and interpretation of analyses, and provide direction for future research.

Learn more:
Shared Resources Seminar: Cytogentics
Monday, May 4, 2009, 10-11 a.m., 450 MCRB

Bulletin Boards
Bulletin boards highlighting the Cytogenetics Shared Resource services will be on display in the Masonic Cancer Research Building and on the second floor of Moos Tower, near Masonic Cancer Center faculty laboratories.

On the Web:
For more information on the Cytogenetics Shared Resource, visit the Web site.

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News

Committee reports ACS grant awardees demonstrate outstanding performance and productivity
The Masonic Cancer Center's American Cancer Society Institutional Research Grant (ACS IRG) Committee has completed and submitted its progress report and the next three-year competitive renewal application to the ACS. The committee reported that the 19 grant awardees of the current reporting period have demonstrated outstanding performance and productivity in their research. Visit the Web site for a summary of accomplishments and a list of awardees and their research projects.

The ACS IRG award is $30,000 in direct costs to support the initiation of promising cancer-related research projects by assistant professors. The next application deadline is Monday, May 11, 2009. Instructions and application forms are available by contacting LeAnn Micek (626-1926 and micek003@umn.edu).

Palliative care clinic to move to University campus
Palliative care physicians, Sandra Gordon-Kolb, M.D., Joel Carter, M.D., and Dot Landis, palliative clinical social work, will see patients on the 6th floor of the Phillips-Wangensteen Building in Clinic 6B after May 1, 2009. Services include: comprehensive management of seriously ill patients' pain and other physical symptoms, psychosocial support including relaxation techniques/hypnosis and practical quality of life needs including information about community services, palliative home care and hospice, and advanced care planning.

Clinic hours will be Monday mornings and Friday afternoons. Palliative nurse triage is available at other times. A palliative physician is on call after-hours. Contact 612-625-4680 for appointments and more information.

New Members

Curtis A. Corum, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor, Department of Radiology, Center for Magnetic Resonance Imaging
Program areas of focus: Women's Cancer, Tumor Biology and Progression
Clinical focus: Breast cancer
Area of scientific interest: Magnetic resonance imaging and spectroscopy for diagnosis and treatment monitoring of breast cancer. Development of novel MRI and MRS techniques.

Yasuhiko Kawakami, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor, Department of Genetics, Cell Biology and Development, Stem Cell Institute
Program areas of focus: Genetic Mechanisms of Cancer, Tumor Biology and Progression
Area of scientific interest: The function of Sall genes and the mechanism by which Sall genes regulate growth.

Access to Masonic Cancer Research Building
The public elevator on the west side of the Masonic Cancer Center Research Building (MCRB) is now open Monday through Friday from 6:30 a.m.-7:00 p.m. Visitors to the MCRB are encouraged to use this elevator. A cardkey reader for this elevator is now online. Everyone who currently has building access also has access to that elevator after hours. The staff elevators and Northeast staircase will be open Monday through Friday, 7 a.m-6 p.m.

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Education and Events

Neurofibromatosis (NF): Defining Standards of Care
Tuesday, April 28, 2009, 7:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m., 450 MCRB
This free program is designed for physicians and health care providers who take care of patients with NF. The keynote speaker is Nancy Ratner, Ph.D., Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center. Ratner, who is an international expert on NF, will discuss the newest advances in research and treatment. Other speakers will discuss the science of NF, its genetics, orthopedic and other issues associated with this condition.

From more information and to register, contact Tammie Dahlheimer, CNP, coordinator, Pediatric Neuro-Oncology Program and Neurofibromatosis Clinic; tdahlheimer@umphysicians.umn.edu; 612-626-2629.

Cancer Biology Journal Club
Wednesday, April 29, 2009. 12-1 p.m., 114 LHI (KE)
Jason Mitchell, Ph.D., Shimizu lab, will discuss "Orai1 and STIM1 are critical for breast tumor cell migration and metastasis," Yang S et al., Cancer Cell 2009;15:124-134.

The Cancer Biology Journal Club is held every Wednesday. For more information contact Sonja Johnson (john4368@umn.edu) or Rachel Bergerson (sapl0005@umn.edu).

Pediatric Cancer and Blood Diseases Conference
Wednesday, April 29, 2009, 4 p.m., 450 MMRB
Metastatic papillary thyroid carcinoma: Case presentation and future therapies
Dr. Leslie Smith, M.D., Fellow, Pediatric Hematology/Oncology

Cancer U: Ask the Experts Programs

Prostate Cancer
Thursday, April 30, 2009, 6-8 p.m., Radisson University Hotel, University of Minnesota campus
J. Kyle Anderson, M.D., urologic surgeon, assistant professor of urologic surgery, will present information and answer questions about prostate cancer. More information and registration.

Women and Cancer: Advances in Research and Treatment
Thursday, May 7. 2009, 6-8 p.m., President's Room, Coffman Union, University of Minnesota
University of Minnesota experts will present information and answer questions about breast and gynecologic cancers. Presenters will include hematologist/oncologist David Potter, M.D., Ph.D., and gynecologic oncologist Rahel Ghebre, M.D. More information and registration.

Attendance at each of these community education programs is free but pre-registration is requested.

Hope Chest for Breast Cancer Natural Bridges Celebration
Thursday, April 30, 6-8 p.m., Hope Chest Orono Store, 3850 Shoreline Drive S.
Open Arms of Minnesota and the Hope Chest Foundation invite you to celebrate the difference that we all make in the lives of those touched by breast cancer, as we continue to build natural bridges in our community. This event is an opportunity for professionals who work in the breast cancer field to network with others in the field. RSVP: rstark@hopechest.us, 952-471-87000, ext. 17.

The Minnesota Chemoprevention Consortium - MC2
Monday, May 4, 2009, 12-4 p.m., Mayo Clinic, Gonda Building room 4-105, Rochester, Minn.
The sixth meeting of the MC2 will include the following agenda:

  • Mindy Kurzer, Ph.D., Masonic Cancer Center, "Whole foods vs. individual components - possible PPG"
  • DeAnn Lazovich, Ph.D., Masonic Cancer Center, "Skin cancer prevention/vitamin D proposal"
  • Steve Hecht, Ph.D. and Shana Sturla, Ph.D., Masonic Cancer Center, "Studies on inositols"
  • Max Pecht, Phil Minerich, Ph.D., and Rick Herreid, Hormel Foods Corporation, "Regulatory Issues—Presentation and Q&A"
  • Paul Limburg, M.D., Mayo Clinic, "Update on Mayo Clinic studies"
  • Proposal critiques

Researchers who want a proposal critiqued at this meeting should contact Steve Hecht (hecht002@umn.edu) as soon as possible this week. Please RSVP to Bob Carlson (carls307@umn.edu).

Established in 2007, the Minnesota Chemoprevention Consortium (MC2 or "MC-squared") brings together researchers from the University of Minnesota, Mayo Clinic, Hormel Institute, and Hormel Foods to facilitate and implement interdisciplinary chemopreventive agent development and delivery for cancer prevention. The consortium meets regularly and involves researchers from a wide range of disciplines, including the basic sciences, epidemiology, agriculture, and food science.

Melanoma Monday
Monday, May 4, 2009, Dermatologic Surgery and Laser Center, 516 Delaware Street S.E., Phillips-Wangensteen Building room 4-175, , University of Minnesota
This year marks the 25th Anniversary of Melanoma Monday, the free skin-cancer screening event sponsored by the American Academy of Dermatology. The screening is free and offered to the public on a first-come first-serve basis, so no appointments are necessary. Dermatologists at the University of Minnesota Medical Center will perform full body checks or simply check suspicious lesions, depending on your preference. A list of local dermatologists will be provided if you need follow-up care after this examination. Literature and sunscreen samples will also be available. Call 612-624-9964 if you need more information, or visit the Web site.

Ice Cream Social
Wednesday, May 6, 2009, 2 p.m., 7th floor MCRB
Mark your calendars! The monthly Ice Cream Social is returning to the Masonic Cancer Center  Ice cream and fixings are $1 at the door.

Culver's Day of Giving
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
On Tuesday, May 12, your neighborhood Culver's Restaurant will donate 10% of sales to the Randy Shaver Cancer Research and Community Fund. Enjoy a delicious meal to benefit a great cause.

Poster Registration now open for Spring Poster Session and Symposium
Online poster registration is now open for the 10th Annual Spring Poster Session and Symposium sponsored by the Masonic Cancer Center Shared Resources on May 14, 2009.
This year, posters will be judged by Masonic Cancer Center leaders in the following categories:

  • Best in Each Cancer Center Program
  • Best Use of Shared Resources
  • Best New Technique
  • Best Translational Research
  • Best Clinical Research

Visit the Web site for more information and to register. The deadline for registering a poster is May 1.

McArdle Symposium on Cancer
Tuesday, June 2, 2009, 9 a.m.-4:30 p.m., Wisconsin Union Theater, University of Wisconsin-Madison
Registration and Abstract Deadline: May 1, 2009
The second annual McArdle Symposium on Cancer will honor the late McArdle Nobel Laureate Howard Temin during the 75th anniversary year of his birth. A wide range of fundamental and clinical topics in cancer will be addressed by a group of outstanding speakers including two Nobel Prize winners: Harold Varmus, President, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, 1989 Nobel Prize for the cellular origin of retroviral oncogenes; and Harald zur Hausen, German Cancer Research Center, 2008 Nobel Prize for the role of human papilloma viruses in cervical cancer.

The symposium will conclude with a dinner and evening program at the Memorial Union Great Hall with multiple colleagues and speakers, including Rayla Temin, honoring Howard Temin. For more information on speakers, schedule, registration, and poster submissions, visit the Web site.

Women's Health Research Conference—Call for Abstracts
Deadline: July 1 to be considered for an award; August 3 to be recognized in the program
The Powell Center is now accepting abstracts for the 6th Annual Women's Health Research Conference being held on September 21, 2009! This year's focus is on women's mental health and neurosciences. However, abstracts on all women's health topics will be accepted. Please visit the website for more information and to submit an abstract.

Visit the Upcoming Events Web page for more event listings.
Visit the Professional Education Web page for more conference and special lecture listings.

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Program Meetings

Genetic Mechanisms of Cancer Research Program Seminar
Thursday, April 30, 2009, 4-5 p.m., 3-110 Moos Tower
DNA cytosine deamination in carcinogenesis?
Reuben Harris, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Department of Biochemistry, Molecular Biology and Biophysics

For a complete schedule, visit the Web site.

Cancer Outcomes and Survivorship Research Seminar
Monday, May 4, 2009, 12-1 p.m., Moos Tower 2-118
Cancer survivorship and outcomes research in a translational age
James G. Gurney, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Associate Director for Clinical Research, Department of Pediatrics Director, CTSA Pediatric Research Program, Michigan Institute of Clinical and Health Research (MICHR), University of Michigan

Please RSVP to drei022@umn.edu by Thursday, April 30, 2009 so that an appropriate number of lunches can be ordered.

For a complete schedule, visit the Web site.

BMT Program Conference
Monday, May 4, 2009, 1:15-2:15 p.m., 450 MCRB
Is there more graft-versus-leukemia effect after unrelated donor transplant?
Mukta Arora, M.D., M.S., Assistant Professor, Department of Medicine

For a complete schedule, visit the Web site.

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Funding News and Opportunities

AACR Funding Opportunities for Translational Breast Cancer Research
American Association of Cancer Research
Deadlines: Letter of Intent: May 20, 2009, Application: July 20, 2009
Application submission: Online via proposalCENTRAL
The Breast Cancer Research Foundation-AACR Grants for Translational Breast Cancer Research will be awarded to support innovative cancer research projects designed to accelerate the discovery, development, and application of new agents to treat breast cancer and/or for pre-clinical research with direct therapeutic intent. Open to independent investigators only. These are two-year grants of up to $200,000. Up to two grants will be presented. Click here for program guidelines and application instructions.

Inquiries may be directed to Hanna Hopfinger at grants@aacr.org.

Women's Health Interdisciplinary Seed Grants
Deadlines: Letter of Intent was due April 24; Full Proposal: May 22, 2009
The Powell Center for Women's Health is requesting proposals for seed grants to be given to faculty proposing interdisciplinary studies in women's health. The grants will be targeting new interprofessional partnerships with an identified leader who plans to submit an application for federal funding within the next year.

The proposals should focus on women's health or diseases that primarily affect women, diseases that present differently or require differential treatment in women, or sex and gender differences in issue of health and diseases how the problems presents or is addressed differently in women and men. While proposals in the Center's three priority areas are preferred, consideration will be given to strong proposals that address any of the AHC research priority areas (corridors). For more information visit the Web site or contact 612-626-1125.

Masonic Cancer Center Internal Grants Program
Deadlines: Statement of Intent was due April 24 and is no longer available. Application: May 22, 2009
Directions for applying can be found on the Masonic Cancer Center Web site. Contact Aaron Schilz for questions and more information: 612-624-0650, schil226@umn.edu.

American Cancer Society Institutional Research Grant
Applications are being accepted until May 11, 2009. This grant is for assistant professors who have no independent national funding and are engaged in cancer-related research. Cancer-related research includes genetic mechanisms of cancer, molecular mechanisms of cancer progression and metastasis, development of novel cancer therapeutic models and translational research, cancer immunology and immunotherapy. Funding is available up to $30,000. Applications may be obtained by calling 612-626-1926 or sending email to micek003@umn.edu.

Visit the Funding News & Opportunities Web page to see listings previously published in Update. Also, a list of organizations that provide funding for cancer research is provided on our Research Funding Resources page.

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